During operation, four stroke internal combustion engines rely on inertia from one cycle to drive the engine through the first two strokes of the next cycle. More specifically, the third (combustion) stroke of one cycle drives the engine through the fourth (exhaust) stroke of that cycle, as well as the first (intake) and second (compression) strokes of the next cycle. When an engine is initially started, an external starter is utilized to drive the engine through the first two strokes.
FIG. 1 shows a known starter 50 for an internal combustion engine. The starter 50 includes a drive housing 52 and a solenoid 54. The starter 50 also includes a first electrical post 56 and a second electrical post 58 to connect the starter 50 to a battery (not shown) that powers the starter. In an exemplary embodiment, the first electrical post 56, referred to as the B-terminal, is connected in series between the positive battery terminal and a positive terminal on the vehicle alternator. The second electrical post 58, referred to as the ground terminal, is connected in series between the negative battery post and a negative terminal on the alternator.
It is desirable to be able to use common components on vehicles with different configurations. For engine components, this can prove difficult because space in the engine compartment is limited. Even when an alternate component can physically fit and be mounted within the space of the corresponding OEM part, limited access to component features, such as electrical connections may not be accessible. For example, it may be possible to mount a starter to an engine deigned to use a different starter, but the location of the electrical posts would make it difficult connect the electrical posts of the starter to the battery cables or other electrical connectors.